You throw the ball. You catch the ball. You hit the ball…Of course, baseball fans know that this line from Bull Durham is far from true, part of the humor of the movie and a huge part of the fun of the game. This blog is a space to talk about baseball, being a baseball fan, all of those things that make the game fun and the Angels, because they make baseball fun for me.

Bring Me an Old Lefty and a Young Lefty?

The Angels made move number two today and signed another left handed pitcher – respected reliever and successful occasional closer Scott Downs. Downs is lights out and I am very pleased with this unexpected deal. Downs is 35 but doesn’t seem to be slowing down any – with an ERA well under 3 and a lower WHIP than and the same pitcher’s batting average as Felix Hernandez – and even improved over his 2009 season. The Angels could use another lefty and a senior presence in the Bullpen, especially one who could be another viable closer if it turns out that Fernando Rodney’s 2010 season was not an aberration. This second deal was a fantastic precursor to a really big third deal, right? Right?

Ah, but there’s the rub. When he announced this deal, Angles GM Tony Reagins said “I believe we are where we need to be at this point,” and “This is not the precursor to another deal.” In the Bullpen, right? We’re right where we need to be and don’t need another deal in the Bullpen, right? Tony? Mike? Anybody? Because, really, I don’t think we’re right where we need to be as a team. We need another bat…a big one…and a filler or two for some of the defensive holes I’ve been mentioning…

When I initially heard the Scott Downs announcement, before I read the article, I thought that signing Downs and declaring the bullpen complete instead of going after Soriano might actually be genius. It could add another strong reliever and potential closer to the Bullpen with enough of a savings to give the Angels more leeway to make a realistic – read, insane! – bid for Adrian Beltre, who could shore up the more than sketchy third base situation I mentioned in my last post. Oh, and Beltre can hit the ball too, just a little bit. Another strong possibility Tony Reagins should be considering with this signing is trading one of our coveted young relievers for a strong bat not currently on the free agent’s list. But it doesn’t sound like Tony is considering either option.

I realize that the off season is far from over. The Hot Stove is still bubbling away. What GMs say to the press and what they are actually planning to do may bear little if any resemblance to one another. So I am far from panicking at this point, but let’s just say Tony’s quotes aren’t doing a whole lot to make me feel good either.

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You’re right not to panic. There’s still time to sign Beltre and maybe Reagins was only bluffing when he made it sound like the Angels were done. Meanwhile, Downs is a great pickup. I know the Yankees were interested in him too, but he was too expensive or something. He should be a very good addition to your pen.

Jane – Yeah, although the timing of the acquisition seemed a little like a knee jerk in response to the Crawford signing, I think Downs was a good decision. I hope you’re right about the bluffing though.http://blithescribe.mlblogs.com/

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